Fishing Dutton Lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Parry Sound District entry here is Dutton Lake, in Ontario. Around the bank it is pine and birch. Roughly 36 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With 5.3 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Ground here is low by Ontario standards. Nearest town is Parry Sound, 49 km off. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 103 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Dutton Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Dutton Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 19°C, the coldest about -10°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about early December in a typical year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan around that when you fish Dutton Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Oldcamp Lake, 1.6 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Dutton Lake locally before you travel.